The list is long…the things I am anxious about these days. So very, very long. If I listed it all out this would be more like a book rather than a blog post. We are trying to milk the last of summer for everything it’s worth, but I’m battling keeping my joy real, rather than just faking it for my kids. I’m battling finding my joy in this anxious part of life. I’m not the best at quickly remembering I’m not made to carry worry or anxiety…I’m not the best at handing it over to God immediately. It seems every time I’m in this type of season I run wild with trying to fix everything and find all the answers myself. I just put all 4 Kelleys down for a nap or quiet time and I felt overwhelmed…covered up in my anxiousness. I sat here for a moment and thought about all that is weighing so heavy on my heart right now, then I looked at my To-Do list and then I kind of wanted to curl up in the fetal position in the corner and rock myself. Then God nailed my heart to the floor.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I’m kind of funny about scripture. I always like to look at the one gazillion different versions. I dig the NIV, but love the contemporary realness of The Message too.
Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
So now I’m thinking on these. Trying to let them settle deep into my heart and penetrate those anxious feelings that will just about suffocate me if I let them. But I get a choice. A big choice. I get to choose where I let my mind go and what I let fill my heart. It’s not always easy…like most of life, but I am trying to dwell on the fact that God did not create me and my heart for anxious feelings and worry. I’m letting Him in on all my concerns and giving Him the thanks and the props He so deserves and I’m anticipating His sense of wholeness…letting Him…His love and faithfulness and grace…fill me up to the tip top and then it completely spilling right over.
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I SO needed this today, Laura.
Thank you. 🙂
You will never know how much I needed to hear this today! Funny how God can use your situation to help someone else! Thanks so much!!!!
“Most of the things I’ve been afraid of haven’t happened; most of the things I’ve hoped for have.”
-Bob Goff
I hope those words encourage you like they did me when I read them earlier.
This is how I woke up…anxious. Ugh! Thanks for the post 🙂
Thanks for the reminder!
as always – your honesty is so refreshing – and your life so real – we are all where you are at times – but do we all admit?
thanks for sharing
Laura~ All I can say is thank you for this post. I struggle with anxiety too and you put things so perfectly into perspective in this post. I’m keeping it in my inbox to reference often. Thank you!
AMEN!!! I love reading The Message to help put things in perspective!! It has always been so eye opening for me, just when I really needed it!! 😀 Thanks for the reminder!!